Process of and apparatus for removing excess air from filled cans



Feb. 24.1925. 1,527,238

N. UHL PROCESS 0F' AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS AIR lI-RCM FILLED CANS Filed March 21, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 II I |l I ,I l I III t I I` I I I; I I

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N. UHL PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS AIR FROM FILLED cANs Filed March 21, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN UHL, r01T' MAYWOO'D, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK. N. Y., A CORPORATION F NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS AIR FROM FILLED CANS.

Application led March 21, 1921. Serial No. 454,260.

To all lvll-0m t 4may concern.'

Be it known that I, NORMAN UHL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Maywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of and Apparatus for Removing Excess Air from Filled Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to a process and apparatus for removing excess air from filled cans, having liber gaskets in the seams thereof, and has more particular reference to a. method of partially opening a seam between the can body and an end, expelling the excess air in the can through the liber gasket therein, a-nd reseaming the partially opened seam.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of Ya process for treating cans which have developed what is technically known as springers,'that is, in which an excess or air has caused a bulging of the head, normally supposed to indicate spoilage of the contents of the can.

It has been found that frequently the condition above referred to results merely from the leaking of air through the fiber gasket prior to the permanent closing of the seam thereon, or at a subsequent' time in some instances. I have found that a gasket of the usual fiber composition acts as a lter for bacteria and, consequently, the presence of a springer does not indicate a bacterial cond1tion, and removal of the excess air in the can will restore its normal appearance, the quality of the contents'being in no way affected. To accomplish thisresult is the general object of the present invention.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means adapted to be attached to a can closing machine of the type generally in use, for partially opening the seam between the can body and an endf A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive process for partially opening the lcan seam and for expelling the excess air therefrom and adapted to employ the usual seeming machine for' closing the partially opened seam.-

Other objects and advantages of thevnventionpwill be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the aocompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring tothe drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can closing machine equipped for the practice of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a can and the parts of the machine whereby the seam is opened;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the edged lever, its cooperating parts, and a section of the can to be operated upon, the y lever being shown in normal position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the lever projected into the can seam; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a can showing the seam after operation of my device.

On the drawings which illustrate an em-y bodiment of my invention it will be noted that I have shown in Fig. 1 in general outline form a view of a can closing machine, the details of which need not be fully described since they form no part of my present invention.

It will be observed that the seammg head usually employed in this type of machine and normally positioned above the hfter block 11 is removed. Upon a frame or table 12 is clamped a supporting member 12' having its lower part cut away and havlng pivkoted thereon an edged lever 13, .said lever being secured by means of a bolt 14. Secured to the member 12 is a win member 13 which is clamped by means of c amps 14 to the table 12. A spring 15 is secured to the back of the lever 13 and attached at 16 to the member 12. A moving conveyor hav ing upstandin lugs 16 projecting between guides 17 is a apted to bring the cans to the lifter block 11, upon which they are centrally placed between side rails 18 and 19. Upon the rail-19 is secured a plate 19', which is a part of the special attachment, which I provide and 'is secured in place by a holder 20, which is fastened to the block 11 by a screw 20l and is laterally adjustable by means of va thumb screw 21. Integral with the plate 19 and extending upward from a cutout. portion 22 in this plate 1s a stud 22', having a rectangular engaging surface 23 (Fig. 3). The lifter block 11 is movj able vertically upon a post 23 and is given .elevated to bring the lever and seam into contact. Upon the completion of the upward movement of the block 11, the seam 25 has been partially opened and the end flange 27 at the-point of opening is moved to practically horizontal osition (Fig. 5).

The apparatus a ove described is adapted to be combined and used with means to heat the cans from which excessive air pressure has been'released, and with means to reseal the heated cans.

It will be understood that a fibrous asket is interposed between the end ange 2 and the b ody flange 28 and that the seam is not sufficiently opened to permit destruction of or damage to this gasket. The reci rocating block 11 is then lowered and t e can moved therefrom by the conveyor, from which the successively opened cans are taken by the intermittent action of the lugs 16 and placed in a retort to which steam is admitted in order to provide a temperature suciently high to increase the pressure within the can and to expel the excess all therein by means of consequent vaporization. After the cans have been allowed to remain in this retort a suicient length of time to have all the excess air expelled therefrom they are removed and again passed through a closing machine, by which the partially opened seam is tightly closed.

It will be manifest that the recess contemplated in my invention requires the employment of very few mechanical instruinentalities and that the machinery usually in possession of canners is susceptible of ready adaptation for the practice of the invention. I wish, however, to have it distinctly understood that the method which I describe and claim is not limited in this manner, but may be practiced in various other ways and by the employment of instrumentalities in no way connected with aA machine designed for any other purpose.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing descri tion, and it will be apparent that various (granges may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention 0r sacricing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a prelferred embodiment thereof.

c aim:

1. The rocess of removing excess air from lle cans having ber gaskets in the seams thereof and in which cans there is excess of pressure, comprising, placing said cans on a vertically reciprocating support, usually provided in the seaming mechanism of a can closing machine reciprocating said support, providing a pivoted edged lever suspended above said support adjacent the vertical path of the can, moving said lever `from lled cans having ber gaskets in the seams thereof and in which cans there is excess of pressure, comprising partially opening a seam between'the body and an end, increasing the pressure within the can by subjecting it to vaporizing heat, whereby to expel air therefrom through said gasket, and reseaming said partially opened seam. 3. The process of removing excess air from filled cans having ber gaskets in the seams thereof and in which cans there is excess of pressure, comprising placing said cans on a vertically reciprocating support, providing a pivoted edged lever above said support adjacent the vertical path of the can, providing means for moving said lever into a seam between the can body and an end and partially opening said seam, increasing the pressure in said can by passing it through vaporizing heat, whereby to expel the excess air through the partially opened seam, and closing said seam.

4. The process of removing excess air from lled cans having ber gaskets in the seams thereof and in which cans there is excess of pressure, comprising opening a seam between the body and an end sufficiently to permit expulsin of air through said gasket without permitting escape Iof the liquid content of the can and leaving said partially opened seam in condition to be readily re-seamed subjecting the can to vaporizing heat, whereby to expel excess air therefrom, and closing said seam. 5. An apparatus for removing excess air from lled cans having ber gaskets in the Y seams thereof, comprising a reciprocating support for said cans, a frame extendin above said support, an edged lever pivote on said frame and normally suspended adjacent the vertical path of the can, means f0.1' moving said lever into position to enter in the seam between the can body and an end during the upward movement of said support, whereby to partially open said seam, means for restoring the lever to normal position upon the lowering of said support, the said apparatus being adapted to be combined with heating means for increasing pressure in said can to expel excess air therefrom, and means for reelosing said seam.

6. An apparatus for removing excess air from filled cans having fiber gaskets in the seams thereof, comprising a reciprocating base for said can, an edged lever suspended,

above said base and adapted to enter a seam joining the can body and an end thereof during upward movement of said base, the said apparatus being adapted to be combined with means for heating the can sufficiently to expel excess air therefrom through said gasket, and means for reseaming said partially opened seam.

7 An apparatus for removing exc-ess air from filled cans having fiber gaskets in the seams thereof, comprising an edged lever adapted tov be projected into a seam between the can body and an end, and means for projecting said lever into said seam, whereby to partially open the same to permit expulsion of air therefrom through said fiber gasket.

8. An attachment for can closing machines whereby the cans may be operated on to partially open the same, consisting of an edged opening element held from vertical movement and movable towards and from the can when the latter is on the lifting plunger of the closing machine, and means whereby said lifting plunger moves said opening element against the can body during the ascent of the latter on the plunger.

NORMAN UHL. 

